SAN ANTONIO — It’s late November, and the Orlando Magic already find themselves in a dangerous position.

If they don’t right themselves soon, they could be a long ways out of the playoff hunt before New Year’s Day.

The Magic, who have lost four games in a row, already trail the Eastern Conference’s eighth-place team by two games.

And the Magic’s schedule is about to show its teeth, beginning with a matchup tonight against the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center. The showdown against the perennial NBA powerhouse will kick off an arduous road trip that will also include games against the Memphis Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards.

“I think it’s a big part of our season right now: making sure we get some W’s on this trip,” coach Frank Vogel said.

Vogel said he’ll employ the same starting lineup he used in Sunday’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks: D.J. Augustin at point guard, Evan Fournier at shooting guard, Aaron Gordon at small forward, Serge Ibaka at power forward and Bismack Biyombo at center.

Vogel also said forward Jeff Green, who missed Sunday’s game due to a sore lower back, will play tonight.

The Magic (6-11) will need everyone against the Spurs (14-3).

“This is definitely an important trip,” Augustin said. “It’s an important game for us tonight. We take every game as an important game. It’s going to be a long, hard trip for us, but we feel like we can get it done.”

Orlando and San Antonio sit on opposite ends of the NBA spectrum.

The veteran-laden Spurs are clicking, having won their last nine games.

The Magic, on the other hand, are coming off consecutive losses to four teams with losing records. The last three losses occurred at Amway Center.

Magic players hope their road trip can galvanize them and forge deeper bonds between each other.

But their woes might not stop after they complete their road swing Dec. 6 in Washington. The game against the Wizards will kick off an exhausting stretch in which the Magic will play four games in five nights.

So the Magic know they need to turn things around soon.

“We didn’t take care of home, so we need to come out here and be road warriors, and that’s what we’re going to do,” Gordon said.

THE BUZZ: The Magic have lost 10 straight games to the Spurs and haven’t beaten the Spurs in San Antonio since Jan. 11, 2009. . . . Spurs swingman Kawhi Leonard has emerged as a bona fide MVP candidate. The reigning two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year is averaging 24.8 points per game. . . . How can the Magic slow the Spurs’ vaunted offense? “You’ve got to take away their first options, the stuff they’re comfortable doing, be aggressive, really try to disrupt their easy passes,” center Nikola Vucevic said. “Try to just deny whatever you can. Just don’t let them be comfortable. If they’re comfortable, they’re too good of a team, and it’s hard to compete against them then.”